Current lacrosse heads are typically constructed of an open frame having a ballstop with a concave interior surface that defines a ball rest, a pair of sidewalls that diverge from the ballstop, and a lip or scoop that interconnects the sidewalls remotely of the ballstop. Openings or other attachment structures are carried by the frame for securing a lacrosse net around the back side of the frame, leaving the opposing front side of the frame open for receiving lacrosse balls. A throat or other structure exteriorly projects rearwardly from the ballstop of the frame and has a socket formed therein for attachment to a handle. The handle and throat attachment define a handle/head axis, which typically forms the central axis and/or an axis of lateral symmetry of the head. All or at least a major portion of the front side of the head has been disposed in a plane parallel to the handle/head axis.
More recently, however, lacrosse heads have been commercially introduced that have at least a portion of the sidewall disposed below the handle/head axis. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,925 to Warrior Lacrosse discloses one embodiment for a lacrosse head where the sidewall curves downward below and away from the handle/head axis and then curves upward back toward the axis. The lacrosse head possesses numerous advantages over conventional lacrosse head constructions in which the front side of the frame is disposed essentially or entirely in a plane that lies parallel to the upper surface of the lacrosse stick. With this configuration, the pocket of the net will typically have a deeper construction than with conventional heads, such that the lacrosse ball lies a further distance below the upper rims of the sidewalls. Moreover, this configuration provides a greater distance for the ball to travel in the net during a throwing motion, thereby improving both ball speed and “feel” and also improves ball retention capabilities.
Other lacrosse heads have been commercially introduced that abruptly lower the sidewall of the lacrosse head such that the upper rims of the sidewalls lie at or below the centerline of the lacrosse stick. Purported examples of these commercial lacrosse heads are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,651,549 and 5,935,026. According to these patents, lacrosse heads of this configuration can provide a lacrosse stick that has a weight distribution between the stick head and handle such that the head will naturally return to a neutral or open position. Also, according to these patents, this configuration can provide improved player feel, which facilitates cradling, throwing and receiving of a ball. Furthermore, the head's natural rotation to an open position as disclosed in these patents minimizes the chance of a player unintentionally receiving a thrown ball with the wrong side of a lacrosse head.
While these newer head configurations have provided different and improved characteristics with regard to playability and feel that occur during the typical portion of a game of lacrosse, they do not provide any perceived benefit to a player conducting a face-off. Face-offs occur to start each quarter of a lacrosse game and after each goal. To conduct a face-off, the lacrosse ball is placed on the ground and two face-off-men lay their sticks horizontally next to the ball, with the head of the lacrosse stick inches from the ball, one of the sidewalls lies in close proximity to the ground while the opposing sidewall is vertically displaced relative to the one sidewall opposite the ground. In this position, the butt-end of the attached handle points down the midfield line. Face-off-men scrap for the ball, often by clamping it under the backside of their lacrosse head and flicking it out to their midfielders, who start on the wing restraining line near the sideline and sprint in when the whistle is blown to start play. Attackers and defenders cannot cross their “restraining line” until one player from the midfield takes possession of the ball.
To achieve this clamping maneuver, a player will rotate the lacrosse stick from a position wherein one sidewall is directly above the other sidewall to a position wherein the backside of the lacrosse head covers the ball and wherein the pair of opposing sidewalls are in close proximity to the ground. To achieve this quickly, the player maintains the one sidewall in close proximity to the ground and pivots the head about a pivot point defined by the sidewall ninety degrees such that the ball is covered between the backside of the sidewalls (i.e. the netting overlies the ball). The quicker a player can rotate the lacrosse head, the more likely the player is to “win” the face-off, and the more opportunities his or her team has to win possession of the ball and score goals.
The importance of a face-off in the game of lacrosse cannot be understated. A good face-off man can be crucial to the success of a lacrosse team. As a result, many teams have designated face-off men that conduct face-offs and then run off the field and are replaced by other players. Given the importance of the face-off, it is highly desirable to fashion a lacrosse stick that provides attributes that are likely to lead to an increased percentage of “wins”, corresponding to an increased number of possessions for the lacrosse team.